From delivering at your doorstep to mastering his dance steps, Swiggy’s Delivery Partner Aakash Saroj is reigniting his passion for the craft, with a little help from Swiggy.
It all began with a dance competition and a dream.
Back in 2023, Aakash Saroj participated in SwiggyWiggy, the company’s internal talent hunt exclusively for delivery partners. He then went on to reach the top-ten stage. But with final selections dictated by follower votes on the Swiggy Delivery Partners Instagram page, he unfortunately missed out on securing a place in the top five. And yet, the competition organisers were so impressed with his dancing chops that they invited him to Bengaluru to perform with the selected five, setting the stage for a journey no one could have imagined at the time.
In 2024, undaunted and determined, Aakash entered the next edition of the talent hunt. Sharpened skills and a fresh new start got him clear wins in every round. And the Swiggy Delivery Partner community on Instagram agreed. He forged on to win the second prize, complete with bragging rights and a cash reward.
If this seems like a wholesome story in itself, wait for the rest.
Behind the scenes
Working at Swiggy’s Driver & Delivery Partner Organisation are Mitali Lambah – Senior Manager, Marketing, and Mahika Solanki – Senior Copywriter, Brand Marketing. The team has been spearheading various inclusion initiatives for delivery partners, scouting for stories and finding ways to bring the organisation’s key pillars into the spotlight.
“We are working on a project where we cover stories of delivery partners, their lives and passions. After SwiggyWiggy, we knew we had to interview Aakash. When we reached out to him, he spoke extensively about his love for dance, mentioning that while he used to actively participate in auditions for various shows, he had to give it up. His father had passed away recently and with him bearing the burden of financial responsibilities, dance was no longer an option,” says Mitali.
Mahika adds, “While covering these stories is important, we really wanted to do more, and Aakash’s experience spurred us on. Nobody knows how our delivery partners are as people, what their talents are, or how empowering and inspiring their stories are. We often see such stories shown through the lens of pity, but there’s so much more to them.”
Speaking about his passion, Aakash says, “Dancing is my dream and my first love. And even though I haven’t been able to actively pursue it for a while, I intend to open my own dance school eventually.”
Mahika and Mitali decided to use Swiggy’s resources and their own networks to find a platform where Aakash could showcase and celebrate his talent. Cut to 2025, after extensive research on talent competitions and dance shows, they found Hip Hop India on Amazon MX.
In the spotlight
And thus began an exciting journey. The pieces of the puzzle fell into place rapidly, and the Swiggy team realised it was all going to materialise soon.
“When we spoke to Amazon MX, we were looking for something that would boost Aakash’s motivation. Hip Hop India agreed to give him a chance to audition in Mumbai, which meant that he could skip the regional auditions. They promised to judge his performance fairly, with no bias or preferential treatment. And we hoped that irrespective of the outcome, this would give him renewed vigour to pursue his passion,” Mitali explains.
When the moment arrived, Aakash was confident, bringing all his energy to the stage. Looking back, he says, “There comes a time in everyone’s life when you have to choose between dreams and responsibilities. For the past year, I had to choose responsibilities, but now I’m moving towards the dream. Over the years, I participated in various free workshops, exploring dance as an art, and now it’s unbelievable that a chance opportunity at Swiggy brought me to such a large stage.”
Recalling how surreal the experience was, Mahika adds, “It’s been unforgettable for us. Mitali and I were in regular touch with each other throughout the planning phase. If you look at our WhatsApp chat, it’s full of emojis, and us screaming about how he was actually going to feature on the show. And when we gave Aakash the news, he was so stunned, he actually asked me if I was trying to prank him.”
It wasn’t just Aakash who was overwhelmed by the reality of what was happening. His mother sent the Swiggy team a box of sweets as a token of her appreciation, and Mahika remembers how he was in constant contact with his family, giving them every little update as he waited to go on stage. “He’s just 23, had to forgo his education and take on responsibilities that no one should have to at such a young age. Seeing him so energised and motivated was extremely rewarding. He kept exclaiming about how everyone was going to see him on stage, and we’re glad that Swiggy could be a catalyst in making that moment happen,” she adds.
Steps for the future
So, is Aakash’s story just the first of many? Mitali weighs in, “Yes, we want to know and solve the problems faced by delivery partners just like we do for customers. We already have several policies in place, from insurance to on-call doctors. But we also want to focus on the so-called softer side of things — their hobbies, passions and dreams.”
When asked what message they would like to leave people with, Mahika says, “There are certain jobs that are perceived as ‘menial’ or ‘unimportant’, but work is work, and it’s important to treat everyone with the same kindness, consideration and respect.”
Mitali adds, “In an organisation like Swiggy, our three main pillars are customers, restaurants and delivery partners. So, they are equal stakeholders in our success, and by enabling them to do more, we hope to make their experience more well-rounded. We realise that this is just one story in a vast pool of delivery partners, but as we institutionalise such practices, we hope to see many more stories like Aakash’s.”
As Aakash rediscovers his passion with a new zest, Mahika recalls the one thing he said to her that left an indelible impact: “I had to stop dancing for a while because of everything that happened, but now just wait and see. Watch how much I’m going to practice and how far I’m going to go.”
Popping, locking and freestyling his way into the future, Aakash’s resilience and skills have made one thing certain — for him, the sky’s the limit.
